Structural and optical properties of composition-graded InGaN nanowires

Vladislav O. Gridchin; Rodion R. Reznik; Konstantin P. Kotlyar; Demid A. Kirilenko; Anna S. Dragunova; Natalia V. Kryzhanovskaya; George E. Cirlin

doi:10.17308/kcmf.2023.25/11475

Vladislav O. Gridchin St. Petersburg State University, 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation; Alferov University, 8/3 Khlopina st., St. Petersburg 194021, Russian Federation; Institute for Analytical Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Rizhsky st., St. Petersburg 190103, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6522-3673
Rodion R. Reznik St. Petersburg State University, 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation; Alferov University, 8/3 Khlopina st., St. Petersburg 194021, Russian Federation; Institute for Analytical Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Rizhsky st., St. Petersburg 190103, Russian Federation; ITMO University, 49 Kronverksky pr., bldg. A, St. Petersburg 197101, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1420-7515
Konstantin P. Kotlyar St. Petersburg State University, 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0305-0156
Demid A. Kirilenko Ioffe Institute, 26 Polytechnicheskaya st., St. Petersburg 194021, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1571-209X
Anna S. Dragunova HSE University, 3/1 A Kantemirovskaya st., St. Petersburg 194100, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0181-0262
Natalia V. Kryzhanovskaya HSE University, 3/1 A Kantemirovskaya st., St. Petersburg 194100, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4945-9803
George E. Cirlin St. Petersburg State University, 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation; Alferov University, 8/3 Khlopina st., St. Petersburg 194021, Russian Federation; Institute for Analytical Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Rizhsky st., St. Petersburg 190103, Russian Federation; ITMO University, 49 Kronverksky pr., bldg. A, St. Petersburg 197101, Russian Federation; Ioffe Institute, 26 Polytechnicheskaya st., St. Petersburg 194021, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0476-3630

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17308/kcmf.2023.25/11475

Keywords: InGaN, Structural properties, Miscibility gap, Molecular beam epitaxy, Optical properties, Photoluminescence, silicon

Abstract

At the moment, InGaN ternary compounds are of a great interest for the development of devices for sunlight driven water splitting. However, the synthesis of such materials is hindered by the fact that InxGa1–xN layers are susceptible to phase decomposition at x from 20 to 80%. Nanowires can be a promising solution to this problem. The purpose of our study was to analyze the structural and optical properties of InxGa1–xN nanowires with a gradient x content being inside the miscibility gap.
InxGa_1–xN nanowires were grown on silicon substrates using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The structural properties of nanowires were studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The chemical composition and optical properties of nanowires were analyzed using energy-dispersive microanalysis and photoluminescence spectroscopy.
It was shown for the first time that the composition-graded InxGa1–xN nanowires with x from 40 to 60% can be grown using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The grown samples exhibit photoluminescence at room temperature with a maximum at about 890 nm, which corresponds to an In content of about 62% according to the modified Vegard’s rule and the transmission electron microscopy data. The obtained results can be of practical interest for the development of devices for water splitting induced by sunlight or sources of near IR radiation

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Author Biographies

Vladislav O. Gridchin, St. Petersburg State University, 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation; Alferov University, 8/3 Khlopina st., St. Petersburg 194021, Russian Federation; Institute for Analytical Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Rizhsky st., St. Petersburg 190103, Russian Federation

Cand. Sci. (Phys.–Math.),
Junior Researcher, St. Petersburg University; Alferov
University; Institute for Analytical Instrumentation
of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg,
Russian Federation)

Rodion R. Reznik, St. Petersburg State University, 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation; Alferov University, 8/3 Khlopina st., St. Petersburg 194021, Russian Federation; Institute for Analytical Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Rizhsky st., St. Petersburg 190103, Russian Federation; ITMO University, 49 Kronverksky pr., bldg. A, St. Petersburg 197101, Russian Federation

Cand. Sci. (Phys.–Math.), Head
of Laboratory, St. Petersburg University; Alferov
University; Institute for Analytical Instrumentation
of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg,
Russian Federation)

Konstantin P. Kotlyar, St. Petersburg State University, 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation

Cand. Sci. (Phys.–Math.),
Junior Researcher, St. Petersburg University; Alferov
University; Institute for Analytical Instrumentation
of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg,
Russian Federation)

Demid A. Kirilenko, Ioffe Institute, 26 Polytechnicheskaya st., St. Petersburg 194021, Russian Federation

Dr. Sci. (Phys.–Math.),
Researcher, Ioffe Institute (St. Petersburg, Russian
Federation)

Anna S. Dragunova, HSE University, 3/1 A Kantemirovskaya st., St. Petersburg 194100, Russian Federation

Junior Researcher, Higher
School of Economics (St. Petersburg, Russian
Federation)

Natalia V. Kryzhanovskaya, HSE University, 3/1 A Kantemirovskaya st., St. Petersburg 194100, Russian Federation

Dr. Sci. (Phys.–Math.),
Head of Laboratory, Higher School of Economics (St.
Petersburg, Russian Federation)

George E. Cirlin, St. Petersburg State University, 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation; Alferov University, 8/3 Khlopina st., St. Petersburg 194021, Russian Federation; Institute for Analytical Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Rizhsky st., St. Petersburg 190103, Russian Federation; ITMO University, 49 Kronverksky pr., bldg. A, St. Petersburg 197101, Russian Federation; Ioffe Institute, 26 Polytechnicheskaya st., St. Petersburg 194021, Russian Federation

Dr. Sci. (Phys.–Math.), Head of
Laboratory, St. Petersburg University; Alferov
University, Institute for Analytical Instrumentation of
the Russian Academy of Sciences; Ioffe Institute (St.
Petersburg, Russian Federation)

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